Toyota bringing sextet of retro-liveried GT86s to Goodwood [w/poll]
![Toyota bringing sextet of retro-liveried GT86s to Goodwood [w/poll] Toyota bringing sextet of retro-liveried GT86s to Goodwood [w/poll]](http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/GLOB/crop/1280x721+0+72/resize/800x450!/format/jpg/quality/85/http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/dae733051b9f9c2175b6094efc01e599/202080690/GT86-classic-livery-2015.jpg)
Automakers and the teams that race their products switch liveries all the time. From time to time you might see them revive a classic color scheme from their history, like Lotus has with the JPS black and gold, or Nissan did most recently with one of the GT-R LM Nismo prototypes it's bringing to Le Mans this year. But Toyota is going a step further.
At the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed later this month, the Japanese automaker isn't just showcasing one new car with a throwback livery - it's bringing six. They're all based on the GT86 (which we know as the Scion FR-S), and each pays tribute to an iconic racing car from Toyota's history.
The yellow and green one pays tribute to the Yatabe Speed Trial 2000GT from 1966. There's another decked out in white and blue in tribute to the 2000GT that Carroll Shelby showcased in the US back in '68. The red one with the black hood pays homage to Ove Andersson's rally-spec '72 Celica. Another one in red with yellow stripes harks back to the IMSA-spec Celica from the mid-80s. There's the Castrol livery from the Group A rally-spec Celica GT-Four, and finally a tigerskin-effect livery derived from the Esso Ultron scheme from Japan's own touring car championship.
In addition to the special vinyl wraps and decals, each of the sports cars features throwback wheels, a stainless steel exhaust and a lowered suspension. But of course it's the livery that makes them special, and you'll want to check them all out in the extensive high-resolution image gallery above and cast your vote in the poll below.
Which is your favorite of Toyota's retro liveries? Yatabe 2000GT (yellow with green) 1 (16.7%) Shelby 2000GT (white with blue) 1 (16.7%) Ove Andersson Celica (red with black) 1 (16.7%) IMSA Celica (red with yellow) 1 (16.7%) Group A Celica (Castrol) 1 (16.7%) Esso Ultron (tiger stripes) 1 (16.7%) Show full PR text GT86 PAYS TRIBUTE TO ITS HERITAGE WITH CLASSIC TOYOTA LIVERIES
Visual celebration of decades of sporting design and engineering excellence at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
- Fleet of six GT86 coupes finished in one-off classic liveries celebrating great Toyota race and rally cars of the past
- Classic look captured in vinyl wraps and decals plus lowered springs, stainless steel exhaust and retro-styled wheels
- Cars available for public drives in the Goodwood Festival of Speed's Moving Motor Show on 25 June, then on static display supporting the GT86 Drift Experience at Goodwood's race circuit
Many of the qualities that make the GT86 an exceptional modern sports car are rooted in generations of classic performance Toyotas, from its great handling to its timeless, low-slung styling. In a tribute to some of the great race and rally cars of the past 50 years, a fleet of six GT86 has been transformed with faithfully recreated classic liveries and retro styling details.
Each car is inspired by a different model. They include two sporting versions of Toyota's original sports car, the 2000GT, and Ove Andersson's 1970s Celica 1600GT rally car - the machine that helped inspire Toyota to launch a full international motorsports programme. The IMSA GTU Celica that raced in North America in the 1980s, the World Rally Championship Celica GT-Four and the Esso Ultron Tiger Supra from the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship are also celebrated.
Vehicle vinyl specialist Motor Mode has reproduced key elements from the original liveries in the right proportions for the GT86. New springs bring the cars' ride height down by 40mm and Rota has provided new wheels in different finishes to capture the retro look. A new Milltek Sport stainless steel exhaust system provides the finishing visual and aural flourish.
The coupes - a strictly one-off collection - are making their debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed's Moving Motor Show on 25 June, where they will be available for public test drives on a course that includes Goodwood's famous hillclimb. For the remainder of the festival they will be on static display at the Goodwood racing circuit, supporting the hugely popular GT86 Drift Experience.
Cars in detail
Yatabe Speed Trial Toyota 2000GT (yellow with green bonnet): this 2000GT set multiple new world and international speed and endurance records during a 72-hour run at the Yatabe High Speed Testing Course in Japan in 1966. It demonstrated Toyota's commitment to engineering a sports car with world class potential.
Shelby Toyota 2000GT (white with blue bonnet): racing legend Carroll Shelby masterminded Toyota's racing programme for the 2000GT in the USA. The intention was to demonstrate the car's potential when pitted on track against established American and European competition. Drivers Scooter Patrick and Dave Jordan duly claimed a number of victories during the 1968 season.
Ove Andersson's Toyota Celica 1600GT (red with black bonnet): Andersson's entry in world rallying with the first-generation Celica paved the way for the founding of Toyota Team Europe - and ultimately today's Toyota Motorsport. The liveried GT86 celebrates the car he entered in the 1972 Daily Mirror RAC Rally, with official manufacturer support from Toyota. His class win and ninth place overall were an early sign of the great things the partnership would deliver.
IMSA GTU Toyota Celica (red with yellow stripes): Celica was the first Toyota to race in North America under the Toyota Racing Developments (TRD) banner, competing in the IMSA GT series. The IMSA GTU car prospered with Dan Gurney's All-America Racing Team between 1983 and 1985.
Castrol Toyota Celica GT-Four (red and green Castrol livery): this Group A Toyota made its World Rally Championship debut in 1994 and went on to claim seven podium finishes in seven events entered during the 1995 season, including victory for Didier Auriol in the Tour de Corse.
Esso Ultron Tiger Toyota Supra (tigerskin effect): Supra was a longstanding entry in the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, competing from 1995 through to 2006. In fact its competition life went on beyond the end of production of the road-going Supra. When its track days came to an end, it enjoyed a new lease of life as a virtual racer in the Gran Turismo computer game. The Esso Ultron Tiger car was one of the most distinctive-looking to take to the grid. Featured GalleryToyota GT86: Retro Liveries for Goodwood
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